


More Than A Lover

by Louise_panda_Belcher



Series: There would be history [12]
Category: Amar a Muerte (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:47:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22777357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Louise_panda_Belcher/pseuds/Louise_panda_Belcher
Summary: Valentina gets a glimpse of who Juliana grew up with and where.
Relationships: Valentina Carvajal/Juliana Valdés
Series: There would be history [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1583356
Comments: 37
Kudos: 128





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this, they've been dating for about 5 months. Eva's pregnancy happens after Juliantina has been together for about 8 months. Just for some time clarity.
> 
> POV will change throughout. Trying to get both of their perspectives in this one.
> 
> Putting this out there because I played myself and thought there would be more TV to keep me busy, but I was wrong. I'll try to update regularly.
> 
> Unedited because we die like men in this house!!!!!

Juliana sat, bending over her desk, her eyes focused on finding any stray marks she could find on the paper. Every time she found something that wasn’t supposed to be there, she used her kneaded eraser to gently remove her mistakes. She was carefully trying to remove a particularly dark mark over an important part of her drawing when her phone’s ringing startled her, causing her to press to roughly and ruin the image she’d spent the past few days drawing. She growled, and tore the image from her sketchbook, crumbling it and throwing it into the trash can under her work table.

She picked up her phone and answered the call, not noticing who called her. “What?” she spoke sharply, as she reached for one of her pencils and started her sketching the last drawing.

“ _What are you doing tomorrow?_ ” came the nonplussed reply.

“Josie,” Juliana said. She set her phone on speaker and placed it down at the top of her desk. “What do you want?” she asked, though her attention was more focused on the image she was drawing than the conversation she was having.

“ _Not me. Grandpa is asking for you. He says his tractor broke down and you’re the only one he trusts to fix it._ ” Juliana remained silent; she barely paid any attention to the words flowing through her phone. “ _Juli,_ ” she called out. “ _Juliana, did I get you at a bad time?_ ”

“What did you say?” Juliana asked as she set her pencil down and looked for a different one.

“ _Did I get you at a bad time,_ ” Josie repeated herself.

“Yeah, I’m working on something before Val comes home,” she made a small sound of victory when she found what she was looking for. “Anyway, what was it you were asking about?”

Josie sighed. “ _Grandpa wants you to fix his tractor. He says that you’re the only one who can fix it. I tried telling him to call one of the boys in town, but you know how he is._ ”

“When does he need it fixed?”

“ _Tomorrow. Do you think you could come pick me up tomorrow morning? I have to go do some things for the house too. You can even bring Valentina. I bet she’ll like seeing you in your work clothes,_ ” she teased and even though there was no one around, Juliana still blushed.

“Shut up,” Juliana muttered. “I have to see what she’s doing, but I should be free. Is your gran-”

“ _Grandma already said she’d have a few pitchers of your sweet tea ready for when we get there. And Grandpa is already marinating the meat for your brisket and steak. Why is he always making your favorites when you come visit?_ ” Juliana laughed loudly.

“I’m Billy’s favorite,” Juliana answered jokingly. “Plus, you’re there every weekend. I only visit occasionally.”

“ _It’s still weird that Grandpa lets you call him Billy. I tried once and I nearly got my head torn off,_ ” Josie said bitterly. “ _Anyway, pick me up?_ ”

Juliana chuckled lightly. “Sure, is seven a good time? Or do you think you’ll be too hungover for then?”

“ _Rude! Seven if fine, but you’ll have to let yourself in and get me up._ ” Juliana laughed at her friend’s antics but agreed. Shortly after she ended the call and returned to her drawing, trying to get as much of it done before Valentina arrived.


	2. Chapter 2

Juliana heard the faint jingling of keys coming from down the hall and she immediately closed her sketchbook and quickly hid it under the stacks of papers and folders on the other side of her desk. She stood up and made her way out into the living room where Valentina was only just taking her coat off.

“Let me,” Juliana said softly as she walked up behind the taller girl.

Valentina smiled and relaxed her shoulders, allowing Juliana to pull the coat back and down her arms. “I didn’t know you were home already,” she said as she wrapped her arms around Juliana’s shoulders when she returned from hanging up her coat. She pressed their lips in a gentle kiss as soon as the girl was within reach.

“After I presented my project last week, work has been pretty slow and I was able to get everything done today,” she smiled up at her girlfriend and found a matching expression there. “How was your day?”

“Stressful,” Valentina sighed, and she pulled away from Juliana and let herself fall onto the couch with a huff. “Guille needed me to help him sweet talk a couple of investors and now they want to renegotiate the details of the contracts, so I have to go into the office tomorrow,” she finished with a pout.

Juliana felt her heart melt at the precious pout that graced her girlfriend’s lips and she couldn’t resist kissing it away. She felt Valentina smile into the kiss and felt her mission accomplished, but when she pulled back, she started pressing light kisses to her face and neck until giggles filled the empty room. “That sucks, I’m sorry,” Juliana said when their laughter died down. “But I guess there go my plans then,” she said sitting back.

“Aww, what did you have planned?”

“Josie’s grandpa needs some help so I’m going over with her to his house. I wanted you to come with us, if you wanted to of course, but I guess you can’t anymore,” she answered, pouting a bit herself. She hadn’t realized how excited she’d been at the thought of having Valentina see where she’d grown up until now. She wanted to share her childhood with the other girl, show her where she spent most of her time, the places she would disappear off to when things were rough and what she did for fun.

“Where is it? Maybe I can get dropped off after the meeting. Guille has plans with his friends but I’m sure Eva could take me,” Valentina offered, moving to wrap an arm around Juliana.

Juliana gave Valentina a pointed look, knowing that the girl was most likely not going to be able to go, but the look she received made her roll her eyes and write the address on a paper and handed it over. The bright smile Valentina was more than worth giving into the other girl’s wants. “If you don’t show up, I’ll be very sad,” Juliana teased, pouting and casting her eyes down to look at her hands. Valentina grinned at the sight and tackled her girlfriend in a hug and peppered her face with kisses while her fingers tickled her sides. After they caught their breath, they lay in each other's arms just letting the comforting feeling wash over them, until they grew hungry and ordered dinner.

\---

“At what time are you leaving tomorrow?” Valentina asked as she went through her night routine.

Juliana was already under the blankets and setting an alarm to wake her the next morning. “Probably around 6:30. I have to go pick up Josie, then we’re going over to her grandparents’ house.”

“You won’t stay for breakfast?” Valentina poked her head out of the bathroom and showcased her very effective pout.

“I would, but Josie’s grandparents won’t believe I ate unless I eat at their house,” she answered with an affectionate tone and shake of her head. Valentina entered the bedroom and shut off the lights, climbing into bed and curling around Juliana. “They’re really sweet and lovable, I think you’d like them.”

“I would love to meet them,” Valentina answered. She didn’t know much about Juliana’s experience as a child after her father left, and Valentina understood that those were memories and experiences that might take more time to get through than the good ones she had when he was still around. She would never push, but from the conversations she heard between Juliana and Josie, she knew that Juliana spent a lot of time helping out the other girl’s grandfather. She thought it was charming and just like Juliana to help whoever needed it.

“Then you really need to make it tomorrow,” Juliana teased before she turned to face Valentina and pulled her in close.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long delay in updates, but it's done now. The rest of the chapters will be up shortly.

“I don’t know why you couldn’t just tell Guille to bring you,” Eva complained as she drove down the road, fields of sunflowers and sometimes corn lining either side of the road.

“He’s having lunch with Renata and her parents and I didn’t want to interrupt that,” Valentina stated, her gaze focused on the clouds floating above them. Eva didn’t say anything, but Valentina could hear her mutter something under her breath along the lines of it being okay to bother her day but not their brother’s, and she rolled her eyes.

“Where is this place anyway?” Eva asked as she looked at the GPS telling her that they were a couple miles away. She had an idea of where she was taking Valentina, Juliana had mentioned helping out on a farm a few weeks ago when she called her in a drunken haze, but she doubted that Valentina knew what exactly she was going to get.

“I don’t actually know,” Valentina said, drawing her eyes to the small map on the phone. “I just know that it’s around the town Juls grew up in.”

\---

A few minutes later and three U-turns, having missed the entrance the first couple of times, they were finally pulling up to a stone farmhouse. Valentina could see a windmill and a barn off to the far left of the property, and there were a couple dogs chasing each other around the front yard. She thought it was all very rustic, the dirt road leading up to the house and the browning grass that seemed to surround them from every direction. She tried looking for Juliana’s truck, but she couldn’t seem to find it anywhere.

“Are you sure this is the place?” Eva asked as she shut the door to her car and looked around for any sign that they were at the right place.

“It’s the address she gave me,” Valentina answered as she looked down to the paper Juliana had written the address and the destination her phone showed. They seemed to be at the right place, but they couldn’t see any sign of the shorter brunette. She tried calling Juliana a few times, but the call kept being sent to voicemail. When she was about to give up, Eva called to her and pointed towards where they came from and they saw Juliana’s truck making its way towards them. But the person who climbed out wasn’t the girl they were looking for.

“Hey Val,” Josie said cheerfully as she closed the door and made her way to them. “Did you just get here?” she asked, pulling the taller girl into a hug.

“Yeah, but I can’t seem to get ahold of Juliana. She isn’t picking up her phone,” she said holding up her phone.

“She should be back in the barn, she probably forgot to take her phone with her. She’s always leaving it behind when she’s here,” the girl answered with a laugh. “Oh, you must be Eva,” she said reaching her hand out to the green-eyed woman. “I’ve heard so much about you.” The teasing way she said it made Eva freeze and Valentina definitely noticed.

“Oh,” Eva replied, the word almost getting stuck in her throat.

“Yeah, you really gave Juli a tough time, didn’t you,” Josie added with a glare, but in an instant, it was gone. “I have to take some things inside and then I can show you to the barn,” she suggested as she began pulling bags out from the bed of the truck.

Valentina and Eva followed closely behind. Walking through the foyer Valentina could tell that it was well kept and that every picture frame on the wall was placed with love and care. As they walked past the living room, she noticed that Juliana featured heavily in quite a few of the pictures, her arms wrapped around Josie and both of them sporting happy smiles and excited eyes. She smiled at the sight and felt her heart melt at how small and soft her girlfriend looked, and how she could still see that same excitement and smile when the girl looked at her.

As they approached the kitchen Valentina took note of how the white cabinets contrasted perfectly with the light brown flooring and the darker tones of the wooden furniture. For all accounts, it was a traditional southern kitchen. “Oh, Josephine, you’re back,” an older woman said with a wide smile as she walked into the kitchen through the side door. “And you must be Valentina,” she said, turning her gaze to Valentina and taking her in. Valentina was completely caught off guard by the hug the woman bestowed on her and she just had a feeling that she was the one Juliana learned how to hug from. “I’ve heard so much about you. And who is this?” she asked, shifting her gaze to Eva.

“This is my sister, Eva,” Valentina introduced. She saw the woman move to her sister and was completely ready to apologize for her behavior, but she worried for no reason. The woman only reached her hand out and Eva took it politely.

“Juliana mentioned that you aren’t too keen on touching,” she said with a soft smile before moving to the fridge. “I’m Mary, Josephine’s grandmother.”

“Are they still out in the barn?” Josie asked. “Can you handle this while I show them out back?” she asked when her grandmother nodded.

“Sure. Be a dear and take this out to them,” she said, placing a pitcher of iced tea and a few glasses on a tray.

“Let’s go,” Josie said as she took the tray and pushed the door open and waited for them. They stepped onto the back porch and down the steps onto the loose gravel path that led to the barn.

“When Juliana said farm, I didn’t know she meant like, farm farm,” Eva murmured under her breath, but Valentina caught it and she wondered when that conversation happened between her sister and her girlfriend.

“Hey, Grandpa, is Juliana here?” she asked an older man who was walking towards the chicken pen off to the side of the barn.

“Yes, she’s in the barn, she might be a while though. That piece of shit is being a pain,” he grunted angrily, but when he looked behind Josie, his demeanor changed. “Ah, Valentina, Juliana showed me a picture of you,” he said offering his hand to shake. He only briefly nodded to Eva and then walked off muttering under his breath.

“You’ll have to forgive him,” Josie said as she looked back at her grandfather with a furrowed brow. “He’s been trying to fix his tractor for a few weeks now. He refuses to get it serviced and he only just decided to ask Juliana to come take a look at it.”

Valentina raised her eyebrows at the new piece of information. She never would have expected Juliana to be knowledgeable about farming machinery and she was intrigued. They grew closer to the barn and inside she could see the green vehicle with its hood up and some clanking metal could be heard.

“Billy?” a voice called out and Valentina instantly recognized it as Juliana.

“It’s me,” Josie called out and set the tray on a work table off to the side.

“Can you hand me the big wrench that’s in the toolbox?” Josie did as asked and then walked back to stand next to Eva and Valentina.

“Do you want me to get her out or are you good to go inside? She might be a while,” Josie asked as she poured everyone some tea.

“Josie!” Juliana called out before anyone could answer.

“What?”

“Turn it on!” Valentina still hadn’t seen Juliana yet, but she sounded far away. Josie climbed onto the tractor and turned the key and was surprised when it started; she turned it off after a minute. There was more clanking metal and then Juliana stepped out from behind it and Valentina was struck silent.

Juliana was no longer in the skinny jeans and loose blouse she’d left in that morning. Instead, Juliana stood with her hair pulled back, a white tank-top stained with oil grease, dark-wash straight leg jeans, a pair of western boots hidden under the leg cuff, and a bark brown belt. It was a sight she’d never thought about, but now that it was in front of her, she couldn’t unsee it. She felt a heat building low in her belly and she nearly forgot that they weren’t alone.

“You made it!” Juliana said excitedly, a bright smile taking over her face as she raced towards her before abruptly stopping a foot away from her and Valentina cursed whatever made her gorgeous girlfriend stop. “Sorry, I’m dirty,” Juliana said softer, as she leaned in and kissed Valentina sweetly, her hands at her sides.

“I don’t care,” Valentina whispered, pulling Juliana in, but the shorter girl didn’t let her.

“You’ll get your clothes dirty,” she stated and took a step back. “Eva,” she greeted with a smile. She pulled out a rag from her back pocket and started wiping at her hands. “I see you managed to trick Eva into bringing you,” she teased Valentina and looked over to the eldest Carvajal sibling.

“She pouted until I gave in,” Eva said flatly.

“It was a phone call,” Valentina argued with an eye roll.

“Val, you underestimate the effect of your pout, even if it happens miles away,” Juliana said laughing.

“I have to go but it was good seeing you,” Eva said, stepping closer and wrapping her sister in a short hug and waving at Juliana.

“Drive safe!” Valentina shouted after her retreating figure.

“I thought it was going to take longer,” Josie said, walking over with three glasses of iced tea.

Juliana took one and instantly took a sip before answering. “He just doesn’t want to admit that he can’t find the right wires. And that he can’t get his hand as far as he used to,” she said with a laugh. “Do you like it?” she asked looking at Valentina as she took a sip. Valentina tried to hold back a grimace at the taste, but Juliana caught it. “You don’t like it.”

“No! It- it’s just that I’ve never had it before.”

Juliana shook her head. “You don’t like it,” she took the glass from Valentina’s hand. “Don’t worry, just don’t let Grandma Mary know.”

“She’ll hound you with questions until she finds out what version you would like,” Josephine said leaning in. “Juli didn’t like it at first either, but grandma kept giving it to her and now-”

“Now I can’t get enough of it,” Juliana interrupted. “It was a bad life decision but completely worth it.”

“I’ll see you inside,” Josie said before she started walking towards the house.

Valentina stepped close to Juliana and pulled the shorter woman into her by the belt hoops of her jeans. “You didn’t say you helped on a farm,” she said quietly, her eyes lingering on Juliana’s exposed skin.

“I thought the truck would have given it away,” Juliana joked.

“Well it didn’t,” Valentina countered. She ran her fingers gently up Juliana’s arm and took pleasure in seeing the way the girl practically melted into her touch.

“Wait,” Juliana said, placing a hand low on Valentina’s torso. “Let me take a shower first?”

“Only if I can join,” Valentina teased. Juliana laughed lightly but nodded and led her into the house.


	4. Chapter 4

By the time they exited the guest bedroom where Juliana had her belongings the sun was high in the sky, warming the entire house with its bright rays. They were sitting on a couple of stools around the kitchen island while Josie and her grandmother moved around the space getting lunch ready. Juliana held Valentina’s hand in her lap, her fingers absentmindedly tracing the lines of her hand and Valentina felt warmth bloom in her chest at how normal it felt. There wasn’t any anxiousness that she would usually get being around new people and she knew it had everything to do with Juliana.

“I like them,” Valentina said as she leaned in close to Juliana’s ear.

Juliana turned to face her; her warm brown eyes sparkled with humor. “I’m glad,” she said just as softly. “They became like a second family after my dad left. My mom worked a lot afterwards and I would just come home with Josie after school.”

“Did she ever tell you about the time she almost set the house on fire?” Josie asked when she noticed Juliana reaching over to dip her finger into the cake batter. She quickly slapped her hand away and moved the bowl out of reach.

“It was an accident!” Juliana said loudly, licking the sweet batter from her finger. “And it was only once,” she added almost as an afterthought.

“One time my ass,” Mary said as she walked back into the kitchen. Valentina watched as Juliana brought a hand up to her chest with a shocked look in her eyes. “Juli,” the older woman started, looking directly into Juliana’s brown orbs. “The fire department made four visits to this house, all of them because you were trying to bake in my kitchen.”

Juliana shrunk back into her seat, a saddened pout on her lips. Valentina couldn’t fight the laugh that escaped her lips and the betrayed look she received only made her laugh louder. “Really? I thought you were really good in the kitchen,” she said after she caught her breath. Juliana frowned and turned away from her, her arms folded in front of her, still holding on to Valentina’s hand. Valentina leaned in to kiss her cheek and at the soft pressure Juliana relaxed and unfolded her arms with a happy smile. Valentina shook her head at her girlfriend’s silliness.

“She’s a great cook,” Mary said, pulling something out of the oven. “But she can’t bake, and she is confined to that stool whenever she is in this kitchen,” she said pointing to the stool Juliana was sitting in.

“Is it that stool specifically, or just a stool?” Valentina asked, hoping there might be another story.

“It’s that stool or she isn’t in this kitchen,” Mary said, pointedly looking at Juliana to make sure she hadn’t moved.

“I’m still here,” Juliana said, raising her hands in defeat.

“Do I want to know why?” Valentina asked.

“It’s the only seat from which she can’t reach anything we’re making,” Josie answered, pointing to the small fixtures on the island. There was a small wooden tray with opened and unopened envelopes, a fruit bowl, and a couple napkin holders. She also remembered how Juliana had practically fallen back into her seat after dipping her finger in the bowl. The entire corner was meant to keep Juliana away and she laughed at what exactly led to that corner being the only one the girl could be seated in.

She looked at Juliana and found a pretty pink blush on her cheeks. Valentina gently poked at her sides and the girl turned to look at her, her blush darkening slightly. “I like tasting what they’re making,” she said shrugging.

Josie stood on her other side of the island; her hands placed firmly on the wooden surface. “Tasting implies it’s just a small bite.” she turned her gaze to Valentina and spoke directly to her. “We were bak- we were supposed to be baking cookies for our class but Juliana over here, ate most of the cookie dough when grandma and I had to-”

“It wasn’t just me!” Juliana argued. “Billy was there too, and if I’m being honest, he’s the one who ate most of it.”

“Don’t bring me into this, young lady,” Josie’s grandpa said as he walked in through the side door with a crate full of fresh produce. His voice was deep and gruff but still caring and soft. Nothing like the way Valentina had come to understand voices like his to be. She guessed it had a lot to do with the way his hazel eyes sparked with mischief and playfulness while his big grin reflected only happiness. He walked over to Juliana and ruffled her hair playfully and pulled her into his chest while the girl let him and laughed along.

Valentina melted at the high pitch laughter that Juliana was letting out, her entire body shaking with it and her hands instinctively wrapping around the man’s body to keep her balance. She wasn’t even bothered by the fact that Juliana had dropped her hand in the process.

“William, let the poor girl go,” Mary said gently, a loving smile on her lips. He did and Juliana adjusted in her seat and smoothed her hair down. She looked at Valentina with a happy grin and Valentina could do nothing but return it.

“I have a job for you,” William told Juliana as he set the crate down on the floor. Juliana nodded and stood up.

“Will you be fine if I go?” she asked Valentina, her eyes gleaming with the rays of light streaming in. Valentina nodded and she gave her a quick kiss before following William.

“She sure is something, isn’t she,” Mary said as she watched the pair exit the kitchen.

“Yeah,” Valentina answered, breathily.

“I’m sure her mother’s already said this,” the older woman said as she took Juliana’s seat and faced Valentina. “But you better take care of her. She’s a gentle kind-hearted girl and I would hate to see her hurt. She cares deeply and with her whole heart, and I can tell by the way she looks at you that she absolutely adores you.” Her grey eyes were soft and warm, and Valentina felt a deep affection bloom in her heart for this woman who clearly loved Juliana so much that she’d basically given her the shovel talk. Looking at Juliana and Mary, she could see how this woman had helped shape who Juliana was.

She’d met Lupe, Juliana’s mother, but when she saw them together there was always an invisible line that they wouldn’t cross. When they spoke, there was an undercurrent of uncertainty that Juliana wasn’t always able to hide. She knows that some of it was because Lupe was absent quite a bit after the divorce, and her focus always seemed to be on something else. Their hugs were a bit stiff sometimes and Juliana would always try to be more affectionate, but it was like both of them were afraid of crossing a boundary. Juliana knew that her mother loved her, it was the one thing Juliana had told Valentina she was sure of. 

But here, with Josie’s family, Juliana was completely open with her affection. The hugs and laughs were free and unrestrained. Here, Juliana was almost the same way she was when it was just the two of them in their apartment. The only difference was that Juliana wore cowboy boots here.

“I only want to make her happy,” Valentina said firmly. Mary gently patted her hand and gave her a warm smile.

“Come, now that she’s out of the kitchen, you can help if you’d like.”

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” Valentina said hesitantly as she was pulled to her feet.


	5. Chapter 5

Valentina stepped out of the kitchen and onto the back porch where Juliana was standing at the grill while William reclined on a patio chair with a beer in his hand. “Hey,” she said as she saw them and stood off to the side, leaning on the side of the house.

“Hey,” Juliana answered, moving close to her and kissing her cheek before turning back to the grill. “What have you been up to?” she asked, closing the grill and setting the tongs off to the side.

“Mary had me help her make her famous cake. She said it was for the bake sale tomorrow?” Valentina watched as Juliana and William looked at each other before looking back at her with wide eyes.

“Is it done?” William asked, his hands gripping the arms of his chair. Valentina felt nervousness settle in her bones and she didn’t know why.

“Yeah, she was just about to ta-” Juliana and William were gone, leaving only the resounding echo of their footsteps behind. “-ke it out,” she finished. She stepped back into the kitchen and found Juliana and William trying to look over Mary’s shoulder. Valentina laughed at the sight. Juliana was standing on the tips of her toes and using William to keep her balance and it was the cutest sight Valentina had ever witnessed.

“You told them,” Josie said with an accusing tone. She was standing off to the side, close to the sink, a bowl in her hand.

“I didn’t know this would happen,” Valentina said sheepishly. The pair were now trying to reach around the older woman, their hands trying and failing to take the tiniest bit of the cake in front of them.

Josie sighed and set the bowl off to the side. “Well, I don’t know how long it’s going to take to get them away. They’re like vultures.”

“I have an idea,” Valentina said, her eyes lighting up with mischief. “Can I have a spoon?” Josie handed her one and she dipped it into the bowl full of the sweet cream cheese frosting. She swiped her finger in the frosting and then placed the spoon behind her back as she stepped up to the island. Valentina could feel Juliana’s gaze the second she entered the vicinity and she knew she had the girl’s attention. She brought her frosting covered finger to her mouth and wrapped her lips around it, Juliana’s eyes followed the motion and she stepped away from the older couple and moved to stand in front of Valentina.

Valentina felt heat building inside her, and she knew what she wanted, but she was also very aware of where they were and couldn’t give in to her desires. Juliana leaned in, her lips inching closer and Valentina pushed forward moving her lips to Juliana’s ear. “There’s food on the grill,” she said in an impossibly sultry tone and she could feel Juliana freeze against her. In an instant Juliana stepped away and ran out the side door, letting it slam closed on the way out. Valentina moved next to Josie again and grinned. “We got rid of one of them,” she said with a laugh and Josie joined in after a moment’s pause.

\---

After Mary had finally gotten William out of the kitchen, things went smoothly. He and Valentina rejoined Juliana on the back porch, and he shared stories of when Juliana was younger, and Valentina loved every second of it. Juliana would blush and deny anything William said, but they all knew that it was true. Valentina smiled contentedly as she watched Juliana split her attention between what she was cooking on the grill and the conversation they were having. She couldn't remember the last time she’d ever felt this relaxed and calm, the sun was starting to set, and the crickets were starting to make their presence known. She never thought that she would ever feel comfortable outside of the city but this proved to her just how wrong she was because seeing Juliana in her work clothes earlier, looking at her now in similar clothes but with the addition of a blue flannel and a beer in her hand, she couldn’t imagine a more comfortable feeling.

She loved the way Juliana’s eyes were bright and happy. The way the sun beat down on her skin and how her features looked just that slightest bit more defined with the sun behind her. She loved the way the girl never strayed too far from her, her hand always finding its way to her hair or her shoulder, her hip brushing gently against her shoulder. This feeling, in this setting, was all so novel to her. She’d been to her family’s home, back when they would go horse riding, when her mother was alive, but it had never felt like this. Her parents were always around and her siblings gave her all the attention she wanted, but even then, it hadn’t felt like this, she hadn’t been this happy with them as she was right now with Juliana pressed against her side, William’s deep voice telling stories of a young Juliana jumping down trees and climbing them again.

Mary’s voice calling out to them from the kitchen door broke Valentina out of her reverie and she looked up to find adoring eyes looking down at her. “You were gone for a minute there,” Juliana said softly.

“Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking,” Valentina said as she stood up.

“Good thoughts?” Juliana asked, her hands moving to settle warmly over her shoulders. Valentina nodded and let herself be pulled into a sweet kiss. “Dinner’s ready. You can go inside while I plate this,” she said and gently nudged Valentina through the door.

\---

Dinner went by quickly, full of laughs and happy conversation. Juliana and Josie joked about their time as kids and they both made sure Valentina was in on every joke they had. The entire room was bathed in a bright glow and warmth permeated the air. Valentina was once again caught off-guard by the feeling of belonging that just took her over. William started conversations with her and from the way Juliana and Josie looked stunned, she would guess that it wasn’t a common occurrence. Mary filled her in on details of jokes she missed while the conversation carried on, her warm eyes filling with mirth whenever someone tried to lie or skip details.

Soon enough dinner was over, and Valentina felt happier and more relaxed than she had felt in a long time. She was very glad that she decided to come, she would even get Eva something for bringing her all the way out. 

Valentina was helping to clear the table while Josie and Mary went about storing leftovers while Juliana and William were outside. They were nearly done when they heard a loud scream from outside and Valentina rushed outside, worried something happened to her girlfriend. When she stepped out, however, she found that nothing was wrong.

Juliana was bouncing in place, her hands reaching out but not quite touching the sleek black muscle car in front of her. She hadn’t noticed it before but seeing the grey tarp that was now bunched on the floor, she guessed William had been hiding it from sight. He wore a proud grin and in his hand was a dangling keychain, Juliana’s eyes were drawn to the keys. Even from a distance Valentina could tell that her girlfriend was hoping, pleading with her big brown eyes to be given the keys and William happily tossed them to her.

Valentina stepped closer and heard the end of whatever they were talking about. “It’s yours if you want it.” She was surprised by the excited squeal Juliana let out before she practically jumped into William’s arms and wrapped him in a tight hug.

“What’s going on?” Valentina asked, reaching out to gently squeeze Juliana’s shoulder once she was on the ground.

“I get to drive this car,” Juliana said full of wonder. She stepped away from Valentina and hovered her hand over the car’s door. Valentina tilted her head in confusion and looked to William for an explanation.

“She’s been wanting this car since she first saw it when she was thirteen. I just finished having it fixed a few weeks ago, so I’m letting her take it out for a test drive.” Valentina nodded along and smiled warmly at how giddy Juliana looked.

“Do you mind if I take it out now?” Juliana asked, hopefully.

“Not at all, she’s all yours whenever you’re in town.” William answered. He placed his warm palm on Valentina’s shoulder and smiled before he made his way back into the house.

“Get in,” Juliana said as she opened the passenger door and waited for Valentina to make her way over.

“Where are you taking me?” Valentina asked as the door was closed.

“Somewhere special to me,” Juliana answered and climbed in behind the wheel.


	6. Chapter 6

Juliana drove down the road with the hardtop roof pulled back. She glanced quickly over to see Valentina waving her hand through the air, her hair billowed behind her. The sight took her breath away and she regretted being in the driver’s seat because she had to force her attention back to the road. She reached her hand over to rest on Valentina’s knee and when she felt the girl’s hand settle over it, she smiled.

“Where are we going?” Valentina asked.

Juliana tilted her head in consideration. “I’ve always wanted to go to the drive-in theater in this car,” she answered. When Valentina remained silent, she looked over to find Valentina smiling mirthfully. “What?”

“It’s like you’re a completely different person,” she answered softly. “I’ve never heard you laugh so much or smile so brightly. And you’re so silly. I thought you were only that way with me.”

“Don’t pout,” Juliana said playfully, looking over at Valentina. “I don’t think I’m all that different,” she said after a moment. “Being out here, I don’t have to pretend like I know what’s going on all the time. And they’ve been my family for so long that I just kind of forget to put up walls like I do in the city. There’s no expectations and I don’t have any responsibilities.” She looked over and found Valentina frowning.

“Do I make you fe-”

“You don’t make me feel any different,” Juliana interrupted her thoughts. “The way I feel with them, it’s the same way I feel when I’m with you. It’s why I love our apartment; it’s why I love spending time there. It’s my safe haven, and I’d like to think it’s both of ours. Valentina,” she said softly, and the other girl looked at her, eyes wide. She rarely ever used her full name. “You’re my best friend and I really don’t think anyone’s ever seen me the way I am with you.” They were getting closer to their destination and she decided to pull over, not wanting to have this conversation while there were other people around.

“When I was outside with Billy after dinner, before he showed me the car, we were talking about you,” she saw Valentina’s blue eyes widen and she rushed to soothe her. “Nothing bad, I swear.” she leaned in and kissed her softly before pulling back. “He was telling me that he’d never seen me more relaxed and happier. He told me that he’d been watching us all day and that we reminded him of Mary and him when they were younger, and I don’t think you fully understand how much that means. Val, they’ve been together since they were sixteen and if we’re anything like them, and I’m going to be very cheesy with what I’m about to say so don’t laugh.” Valentina chuckled but kept her laugh at bay. “You’re more than a lover, there could never be another to make me feel the way you do, you’re my best friend.”

“Did you just use a song to share your feelings?” Valentina asked, a laugh bubbling in her chest.

Juliana rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. “I share my feelings and you tease me, the shame!” she shouted, mock outraged. Valentina kept laughing. “I take it back. I regret everything I said. It was a lie, a sham, a preposterous idea really,” she moved her hand to put the car in gear, but Valentina was all over her in a second.

“No!” she shouted, her arms wrapped around Juliana’s shoulders and peppering kisses all over her face. “You can’t take it back,” she said between kisses. “I’m sorry I teased you. I swear I am,” she pouted, and Juliana could feel her pout, but she wouldn’t give in just yet. She kept her eyes sternly focused in front of her, she could be strong, she could. She couldn’t, Valentina’s lips started lingering, her tongue slipping out occasionally and she caved. 

“Wait,” she murmured against soft lips. “Not in the car,” she said softly.”

“What?” Valentina breathed; her brow furrowed.

“Not in the car,” Juliana said more surely. “I’ve waited my whole life to drive this car and I’m not going to let my teenage boy hormones get in the way of doing the first thing on my bucket list”

“You have a bucket list?”

Juliana restarted the car and pulled away from the side of the road and looked over at her girlfriend. “I’m glad I still have things that surprise you,” she said with a grin and they drove off.

\---

As soon as they were close enough to see the bright neon lights, Juliana slowed down and turned into the lot.

“Hey, Juliana!” The woman in the box said happily. She was an older woman with soft brown eyes and long blonde hair; Juliana remembers her from when she was younger, the woman and her husband had bought the theater thirty years ago and they both continued working in it, the woman, Claire, at the box and her husband, Edmund, in the snack bar.

“Hey Claire,” Juliana greeted just as happily.

“I see William finally let you drive the Impala. And who’s this?” she asked leaning out of the small window to look at Valentina.

“This is my girlfriend, Valentina,” Juliana answered, her hand reaching out to her girlfriend’s.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Valentina said from behind her, a wide smile on her lips.

“Oh, how nice,” Claire said with a smile. “What are you here to see?”

Juliana looked over at Valentina, asking her what she’d like to see. “What was that action movie?”

“Good choice,” Claire said as she printed the tickets and handed them to Juliana. “I’ve heard good things about it. Oh, Juliana, Andrea is working at the snack bar tonight if you want to see her.”

Juliana tensed, but nodded her head and smiled stiffly before driving off. “Who’s Andrea?” Valentina asked once they pulled up to their place.

“No one,” Juliana answered quickly, her eyes refusing to meet Valentina’s.

“Juls,” she said carefully. Juliana remained silent. “Tell me,” she held Juliana’s hand and brought it to her chest.

“She’s just someone I knew from high school.”

“Was she a bully?” Valentina asked, her voice sounding worried.

“No, it’s not that, she was actually really nice.”

“Then what is it?”

“We dated. For a while.” Juliana said, her eyes looking anywhere but at Valentina.

“A while.”

“We dated most of high school, okay,” Juliana said, pulling her hand away from Valentina and running both of her hands through her hair. “And it didn’t really end well.”

“What happened?” Valentina asked, scooting as close as she could and tried to calm Juliana down by carding her fingers through the girl’s hair.

“Well, she cheated on me, first of all,” Juliana said, sighing and sliding down and resting her head on the headrest. “Then she broke up with me two days before prom junior year and she took the guy she’d been cheating on me with to the dance.”

“I’m sorry,” Valentina said softly.

“That isn’t even the worst part.” Juliana turned to look at Valentina and felt tears prickling in her eyes. “I was like, madly in love with this girl and she knew it. We broke up, but afterwards, she always sat just a little bit too close, her eyes lingered a little too long and whenever we had to work together, she just… it never felt like it was really over, you know?”

“Wow,” Valentina said, sitting back. “That’s… wow. Really?” she asked, letting out a deep breath. “That’s such a horrible thing to do.” Juliana nodded slowly. They sat in silence for a few minutes before she broke the silence. “We don’t have to go get snacks,” she offered softly.

“But I’m hungry,” Juliana pouted.

“We just had dinner,” Valentina looked at her pointedly.

“Yeah,” she lengthened the word. “But drive-in theaters all over are dying because people don’t buy from the snack bar. And I’m always hungry,” Juliana added.

“If you’re sure.” she answered hesitantly.

“I’m sure. Let’s go.” She climbed out of the car and waited for Valentina to catch up with her, her hand reaching out.

\---

Valentina followed Juliana in through the glass doors and she was in awe of how the small building had managed to maintain it’s 80’s vibe through the years. There were vinyl booths, checkered floors and neon lights wrapped around the windows and counter, there was even an old jukebox. It looked like a vintage diner, and nothing like what she’d imagined.

“It’s fun, isn’t it?” Juliana asked her.

“Yeah, not what I was expecting.”

“Were you expecting to see worn down everything and a very small selection of treats?” Juliana asked teasingly.

Valentina playfully shoved her shoulder but laughed. “Maybe.”

“The good thing about this place is that Claire and her husband had money before they bought the place, so they remodeled it as soon as they got it and they keep up with the repairs.”

“Claire seemed to know you very well,” Valentina commented.

“I used to work here in high school. It’s open every day of the week, year-round so I never didn’t have a job.”

Valentina grew excited, “Really, what did you do?”

Juliana bent down and leaned to the side trying to find something through the window. “Do you see that tower there?” she asked pointing to a white wooden building, there was light streaming through a small window. “I used to sit there all night doing homework or drawing. My job was to put the movies in, make sure the sound worked and on weekends, play the second movie, then put them away.”

“You must have loved that job,” Valentina chuckled.

“Not so much. It was fun re-watching the movies that were good, but if they were bad it was torture, and after like five times, they kind of get boring,” she shuddered.

“Next!” a man on the other side of the counter called out and Juliana gave him her full attention.

Valentina stood beside her and let her eyes roam around the room, but they stopped on a tall brunette at the other end of the counter. The woman’s eyes were looking at them and it was almost like she was sending daggers at Valentina, but she couldn’t think of a reason why. Then it clicked. That must be Andrea. Valentina had to admit that the girl was beautiful, her thick dark brown mane fell delicately around her shoulders and she seemed to move with grace even in the small space.

She watched as she called someone from the kitchen and waited until he was at the counter before stepping out from behind it and made her way over to them. “Juliana?” she asked, her voice was sickly sweet, and Valentina felt Juliana freeze the instant she recognized the voice.

“Heeeyy, Andrea” Juliana said, slowly turning to face her.

“It’s been so long!” the girl exclaimed and immediately moved to wrap her arms around Juliana. Juliana for her part was frozen, her hands hanging limply at her sides. She hesitantly brought her hands up and awkwardly patted Andrea’s back, her entire posture relaxing once she was out of the girl’s reach. Valentina frowned when the other girl didn’t acknowledge her presence. “What are you doing here?” Andrea asked, cheerily.

“Gonna, uh, catch a movie,” Juliana said, rocking back and forth awkwardly. “It is a movie theater, you know.”

“Oh, right!” the girl said, shaking her head at herself, her wide smile making both Juliana and Valentina uncomfortable. “Did you come here with Josie? I haven’t seen her in a while either.”

Valentina remained silent, wondering what Juliana would do. She felt a surge of pride when Juliana pressed close against her side, her arm wrapped around her waist. “Actually, I’m here with Valentina, my girlfriend,” she looked up at her and Valentina replied by leaning down and kissing her lips softly. “Valentina, this is Andrea, a friend from high school.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Valentina said, moving her hand to shake Andrea’s but she was ignored.

“Likewise,” Andrea said, her sharp eyes never leaving Juliana’s. “Listen, Juliana, a few of us are meeting down by the river for the bonfire after the movie tonight, you should come. You can invite Josie and you can even bring her,” she said motioning to Valentina, her words sounding disinterested.

Valentina noticed how Juliana’s hand tightened around her waist and the way her jaw clenched. She could tell that Juliana wanted to step up to Andrea, but she knew it wasn’t worth it, so she held her back by moving her arm around her shoulder. Juliana instantly relaxed, though her shoulders were still tense. “I don’t know, Andy, I’ll let you know. Is Francisco going to be there?” Andrea nodded. “I’ll text him if we decide to go.” Their food was set in front of them and Juliana grabbed it before turning and exiting the small diner, holding the door open for Valentina and not saying goodbye.

\---

“The nerve!” Juliana said loudly as they climbed into the back seat of the car. “How dare she!”

“Juls,” Valentina said calmly.

“And she just. Did you see the way she looked at you!”

“Juls,” she said, more mirthful.

“And can you believe… I should go yell at her,”

“Juls, mi amor,” Valentina said, gripping Juliana’s forearm to keep her from getting out of the car. “It’s okay.”

“Huh?” Juliana said, almost as if she hadn’t been fully aware of what she was going to do.

“It’s okay, I wasn’t bothered by it,” she said, laughing lightly.

“Well, I don’t see how you aren’t bothered by it. I mean she didn’t even acknowledge your presence!”

“I can see where she’s coming from,” Valentina replied, drawing Juliana’s wide eyes.

“What?”

“I just mean that,” she turned in her seat to look directly at Juliana and softly caressed her cheek. “I can see where she’s coming from. If I lost you, the best thing that’s ever happened in my life, and I saw you with someone else, I’d be absolutely jealous. I would even say that I’d be worse than Andrea back there.”

“That doesn’t make it okay for her to act the way she did.”

“No, it doesn’t. But it doesn’t matter. You know why?” Juliana shook her head and waited for her to answer. “Because at the end of the day, I’m the one who gets to kiss you,” she answered and leaned in for a kiss.

“You make valid points there Miss Carvajal,” Juliana said gently pulling away.

“So, do you want to go to that thing she was talking about?”

“The bonfire,” Juliana said, sitting back. “Only if you want to, and if Josie wants to go. That thing doesn’t end until the sun comes up. There’s going to be kids from the high school down there. Basically, it’s a giant reunion of alum and current students just drinking. And the cops never get involved, because many of them are there with their own buddies.”

“Sounds fun. And I would get to meet some of your friends.” Valentina said, hopefully.

Juliana nodded. “I’ll text Josie and we’ll go after this.” They settled down, Juliana’s arm wrapped around Valentina, and Valentina with her head tucked into Juliana’s neck.


	7. Chapter 7

“Where is the bonfire happening?” Valentina asked, her words cutting through Josie and Juliana singing along to the radio. They’d been driving along the river for a while now, but they didn’t seem to be pulling over any time soon.

“They say it’s on the river but really, it’s on the lake. The Duncans have a house on the water and for as long as we can remember, the bonfire has always happened there. It isn’t at their house, but they practically have a private beach and they allow us access to it,” Josie explains, her cheek resting on the back of Valentina’s seat.

“And there’s most definitely beer and probably weed, which is why we have my truck instead of the Impala. Billy would straight up kill me if there’s even a scratch on that car.”

“Please,” Josie said with a roll of her eyes. “The most he’d do is have you pay for the paint job. He wouldn’t actually hurt you.”

“Whatever. We’re almost there,” she said as she pulled up to a large black gate.

Once they were inside, Juliana continued down a loose gravel road until they were completely surrounded by a thick wooded area. As soon as they were out on the dirt path Valentina could hear the music drifting through the trees and in the distance, she could see many fire pits giving off a warm glow. Juliana moved to walk next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist and she felt a calm feeling settle over her.

“I thought it was just one giant fire?” Valentina asked, the closer they got to the shore.

Juliana shook her head. “There’s always too many people so a giant fire doesn’t really make sense. The teens are the ones who usually get the biggest one since they’re the ones who stay out here the longest.”

Josie stepped closer to them and leaned in to say something to Valentina. “You should ask her about the time she was dared to go skinny dipping.”

Juliana reached across Valentina and playfully pushed the girl away. “Don’t listen to her, she lies.”

“No, I think I want to hear that story,” Valentina teased, leaning closer into Juliana and tugging at her shirt.

Juliana shot Josie a glare, but the girl’s attention was elsewhere, her eyes widening in recognition. “They all came out tonight!” Josie shouted and ran off to a fire on the other side of the clearing.

“What was that?” Valentina asked.

Juliana squinted her eyes trying to make out what had made her friend so excited, when her own eyes shone with recognition. “Our friends from high school,” she said, a wide smile on her lips. “They all moved away after graduation and we haven’t seen them in a while. Well, Josie hasn’t seen them in a while, since she’s so busy.” They followed after Josie but at a much slower pace. “That girl over there, with the baby in her arms, that’s Claudia, her husband, Francisco and I have been friends since we were third grade. They met in middle school and even then, I knew they would end up together,” she said with a fond smile.

“Aw, how sweet,” Valentina cooed. “But don’t think you’re getting out of telling me about your teen escapades.” Juliana blushed but didn’t say anything.

“Juliana!” Francisco exclaimed happily as he stood up from the log he’d been on. He stepped up to Juliana and wrapped her in his arms and Valentina watched as Juliana practically disappeared in his embrace. She could hear her girlfriend’s unrestrained laughter as he swayed them from side to side.

“Stop!” Juliana laughed as she struggled against his strong embrace.

“Who’s this?” he asked when he finally let Juliana go. He smiled brightly at her before turning to Juliana, waiting for her to introduce them.

“This is my girlfriend, Valentina. Val, this is Francisco, he’s like a big brother,” she answered, her eyes shining bright in the soft firelight.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Valentina said as she took Francisco’s hand to shake.

\---

After some introductions Valentina sat with Juliana pressed into her side as Juliana and her friends caught up. Laughter filled their little circle and Valentina was able to see yet another side of Juliana that she hadn’t seen before with others. She was more reserved than when they were at Josie’s grandparents’ house, but there was still an ease to her. There was a constant smile on her lips and when she laughed, her entire face lit up, her body shook with the energy flowing from her and Valentina felt honored to be around the people Juliana had grown up with.

There was light banter and soft teasing, stories from when they would sneak out and do stupid things, she got to hear about Juliana skinny dipping from many perspectives while Juliana buried her blushing face in her shoulder. There was a blanket of warmth that covered them, they shared some of the problems they’d all gone through, crazy college experiences and a few of the tougher breakup that they’d all gone through. Even though Valentina didn’t know them, they all did their best to make her feel included, asking her questions and more than anything, sharing the times they had with Juliana.

She never would have guessed Juliana was the type to jack someone’s car. “We all displayed signs of deviant behavior,” Juliana said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I was just the only one who actually did anything about it. At least I didn’t trash the houses every time we went to a party,” she said pointedly looking at Sergio who was sitting across from them and they all dissolved into laughter again.

A calm silence had settled over the small fire pit when a piercing cry broke through their area, drawing the attention of a few other people who were a few feet away at their own fires. “I’m sorry,” Claudia said as she moved to retake her seat next to Francisco. “Sofia just won’t stop crying,” she said, her brow furrowed as she tried bouncing the little girl in her arms. “I tried changing her diaper and feeding her, but she just won’t calm down.”

“Give her to Juliana,” Francisco said motioning his head over to Juliana. Valentina and Claudia both looked surprised at his suggestion. Valentina looked over at Juliana and found her staring back at the man with an unimpressed look. “Trust me, over the summer she would volunteer at my mom’s daycare. She said that Juliana was the only one who could ever calm down the troublemakers.”

“They were toddlers,” Juliana exclaimed, her eyes widening when Claudia started moving closer to her. “I’ve never dealt with actual live babies,” she said, flinching when Claudia was standing over her.

“That’s more experience than I’ve got, so give it a try,” the woman said gently handing her baby over to Juliana. Valentina couldn’t help but laugh at Juliana awkwardly holding the baby, her shoulders tensed and a grimace on her lips.

It took a few minutes, but Juliana finally relaxed and held the little girl against her chest, humming a quiet tune. Valentina discreetly slipped her phone out and started snapping pictures, sending one particularly adorable picture to the group chat she had with Guille and Eva, her message saying ‘she’s just the cutest! <3’. In the picture, Juliana was looking down sweetly at the baby in her arms, even in the low light the softness of her gaze could be seen. She wore a soft smile and her nose was pressed gently against the baby’s and the soft glow from the fire casting soft shadows on both of them.

\---

About half an hour later, the baby was asleep in Juliana’s arms. She tried handing her back to her parents but the second her arms were taken away Sofia would start crying until Juliana was holding her again. So, Juliana now had her arms full of a tiny sleeping human being and Valentina was wrapped around her, looking down at the little girl while she whispered softly into Juliana’s ear. She was so focused on giving her girlfriend and the baby all of her attention that she barely felt a gentle kick against her foot. When she looked up, she found Josie motioning with her head to something behind them.

Valentina looked up and found Andrea making her way to them, and she immediately stood up saying she needed to go to the bathroom. She walked straight up to Andrea and stepped in her path, stopping her from going any further.

Andrea stopped; the soft smile she’d been sporting replaced by a look of indifference as she recognized Valentina. “Oh, you’re here,” she said, raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah, I am. And I have something to talk about with you,” Valentina said, her arms crossed in front of her.

“I really doubt it, but go ahead,” the other woman said waving her hand.

“You need to leave Juliana alone. She isn’t interested.”

That seemed to snap something in Andrea because in a second she was standing toe to toe with Valentina, her eyes glaring daggers. “Oh, believe me, she’s interested. She’s always interested,” she said lowly. “She was in love with me in high school, and she’s still in love with me now. I can prove it,” she said stepping around Valentina, but a hand on her arm stopped her.

Valentina turned Andrea around to face her. “You lost your chance when you decided to cheat on her, and she’s moved on and she’s happier for it.”

“I made a mistake back then, but I’m not letting her get away this time,” Andrea practically growled as she yanked her arm away from Valentina’s hold and moved to take the seat next to Juliana. Valentina stood fuming, her jaw was clenched, she wanted to pull the woman away from her girlfriend, but she needed to calm down before she did something she would regret.

“You’re right.” Valentina turned around when she heard Francisco speak from behind her, Josie stood beside him. “I haven’t seen Juliana happier than she is today.”

“She doesn’t seem to think so,” Valentina huffed.

“That’s because she doesn’t care about anyone other than herself. The world could be burning and as long as she was okay, she wouldn’t care,” Josie commented. “Don’t let her take your girl,” she said when they heard Juliana laugh at something Andrea said.

“She doesn’t even have a chance,” Francisco added. “That was a fake laugh.”

“How are you so sure?” Valentina asked, her voice uncharacteristically unsure.

“Because the way she’s looking at Andrea right now is nowhere close to how she was looking at you a few minutes ago,” he answered. Valentina looked at him with a question in her eyes and he sighed. “She looks at you like you personally stung up the stars.”

“I think a better comparison would be that she looks at you the way she looks when grandpa makes steak,” Josie interjects.

“Oh. You’re right! That’s exactly it!” Francisco exclaimed, clapping his hands. “Don’t look now, but I think she’s going to try to kiss her,” he said, scrunching his face before turning away.

Valentina instantly saw red and started marching over to the pair. It seemed to happen in slow motion; she was completely ready to pull Andrea away from her girlfriend, when Juliana leaned away at the last second. But she was sitting close to the edge of the log already, so with the sudden movement she was falling to the ground, her arms still firmly wrapped around the baby. There was a moment of absolute silence that settled over everyone.

“What the fuck was that?” Juliana shouted, momentarily forgetting that there was a sleeping child in her arms.

“I j-just, I’m so-”

“I think you should go,” Juliana said loudly as she struggled to stand up without the use of her arms. Valentina rushed to help her up and felt her chest swell when Juliana leaned firmly into her.

“Juli-”

“No,” Juliana said firmly. She gently handed Sofia, who was miraculously still asleep, back to her mother and glared at Andrea. “You don’t get to do this anymore. You don’t get to come back into my life whenever you want and act like there isn’t too much history there. I’m done.”

“Juliana, please.”

“You heard her, leave,” Valentina said harshly, her hands resting possessively on Juliana’s hips.

“I’m not letting you get away, Juliana, not if there’s still a chance you’ll take me back,” Andrea pleaded. “Is there still a chance?”

“I don’t know,” she turned in Valentina’s arms and looked up at her. “Does she have a chance?”

“I’m never letting you go,” Valentina said softly, but loud enough for the other woman to hear. Juliana smiled up at her, a small glint of something she couldn’t read shined in her deep brown eyes.

“And I don’t plan on ever leaving,” she added, then turned around to face Andrea. “So, no, there isn’t even the slightest chance.” Andrea hung her head, defeated, but when she looked up there was fire behind her eyes, and she pushed forward.

“Not today, demon,” Francisco said as he grabbed her around the waist and dragged her away.

“Are you okay?” Valentina asked softly, her hands moved to cup Juliana’s face gently.

“I’m fine,” Juliana answered, her own hands settled over Valentina’s. “She’s drunk and probably on something too,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Did you mean it?” she asked after a minute.

“Every word,” Valentina answered softly, leaning down to kiss her.


	8. Chapter 8

“Well that sounds like an interesting night,” William said after he finished chewing his food. Juliana and Josie had just finished retelling the events from the night before. “What happened to her afterwards?”

“I don’t know, she probably went home with some random dude,” Josie answered flatly.

“Morning,” Valentina said through a yawn as she stepped into the kitchen.

“Morning,” Juliana greeted, pulling the taller girl between her legs and kissing her softly.

“Stop,” Josie groaned. “It’s too early to witness you two being sweet.”

Juliana rolled her eyes and let go of Valentina, standing up to serve her breakfast. “How’d you sleep?”

“Great,” Valentina said, her eyes still drowsy from sleep. “How long have you been up?”

“We didn’t go to sleep,” Juliana answered. “I stayed with you until you fell asleep,” she said in answer to Valentina’s unspoken question.

“Josephine had some chores to do with Mary and I took Juliana out to the farmer’s market,” William answered.

“Speaking of, Billy, did you get the honey? I kind of lost you for a bit around the cheese,” Juliana asked. William stood up and grabbed a jar and set it in front of Juliana.

“I have a question,” Valentina said after a second, drawing everyone’s attention. “Why is Juls the only one who calls you Billy?”

“Oh, sweetheart, we’ve been asking ourselves that question since forever,” Mary said with a laugh.

“W-” Juliana was about to answer but William sent a sharp glare at her and she remained silent. “I’ll tell you later,” she said, leaning in to whisper in Valentina’s ear.

“Aw, no, tell us,” Josie whined. Both Mary and she looked at Juliana with pleading eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Juliana mouthed before she took a deep breath. “Billy took me to a petting zoo a while back, and there were a bunch of different animals, but I wanted to pet the goats. It really isn't that great of a story,” she said but she was receiving too many pleading looks that she continued. “Basically, we stepped into the goat pen and then he was knocked over by a billy goat. He was upset when he sat up, but the goats were unaffected; one of them even ate hay directly off his head. I’ve been calling him Billy ever since, don’t really know why it stuck though.” All around, everyone was trying to hold back their laughs.

“Ha ha,” William laughed sardonically. “Very funny. Sure, laugh it up. You’re not driving the Impala again,” he said pointing at Juliana causing her to pout.

Juliana pouted and murmured under her breath, but Valentina leaned in to kiss her cheek and her pout disappeared.

\---

After breakfast they said their goodbyes and took off back into the city. Juliana was back in her usual clothes, skinny jeans, an oversized hoodie and her casual sneakers. Josie was asleep in the back seat and Juliana was driving with one hand on the wheel while the other rested comfortable in Valentina’s lap.

“So,” Valentina started, her voice breaking through the music playing softly. “Andrea.”

“Yeah,” Juliana sighed.

“How was it seeing her again?” Valentina asked, turning her gaze to look out of her window.

“It honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

“Really?” Valentina asked, surprised.

Juliana nodded. “Yup!” she looked over to Valentina and grinned. “I had you by my side this time.” Valentina was still looking out the window but turned to look at Juliana when she felt her hand squeezing her fingers, drawing her attention. “Val, you know you have nothing to worry about, right?” Valentina looked at her with questioning eyes. “Josie told me what happened last night between you two,” she said softly.

“I know I shouldn’t have confronted her, but I saw her walking over to us and I had to stop her.”

“Well, it didn’t work.”

“I know. But she just got under my skin!” Valentina exclaimed, letting go of Juliana’s hand.

“Do you know why I went back to her in high school, why I let her go on toying with me as long as she did?” Juliana asked after Valentina’s breathing returned to normal. Valentina shook her head. “I still wasn’t over my dad leaving, and when she broke up with me, she kept coming back. She stayed, even if it was over, she stayed, and at the time, that seemed like the most important thing to me. That she never really left me. The reason it didn’t work this time was, in part, because you were there, but I’ve also grown so much since then. I’ve talked to a therapist about my problems and she helped me figure things out. But Val, I love you, like wildly, madly in love with you, and I need you to trust in that. Trust me, trust me when I tell you that there is literally no one else I would rather be with than you.” She turned her head to look at Valentina for a moment before she had to turn back to the road.

Valentina nodded and held Juliana’s hand again and brought it to her lips. “I promise to trust you and I do believe you. I love you too, just as much, if not more.” Juliana smiled and brought their hands up to her lips. They drove in silence for a few minutes before Valentina broke the silence. “You know, Juls,” she said, a teasing lilt to her voice. “You’re more than a lover,” she finished with a laugh.

“Nope!” Juliana said as she shook her head and pulled her hand away from Valentina’s. “I share my feelings again and you still mock me. I feel betrayed! I regret saying anything.” 

“Can you two shut up?” Josie called out from the back seat. Juliana and Valentina dissolved into loud laughter, Josie’s further requests for them to be quiet only serving to make them laugh more.

“No, but really, Juls, you are. You’re my best friend,” Valentina said after their laughter died down. Juliana smiled lovingly at her and leaned over to kiss her quickly before returning her attention to the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!
> 
> So, queue update: this story might be put on pause for a little bit. Partly due to my having a few exams this week but also, I'm currently working on a passion project that's been in my head for weeks. My question to you, dear readers, if whether or not y'all would be interested in reading it.
> 
> First, it's still Juliantina, so no worries on that front. Second, if you've ever played Dragon Age: Origins, it takes place in that universe, so, it is a video game AU/crossover. No knowledge about the game is necessary as I will be explaining everything that happens and is necessary, and as always questions are welcome. Third, and hopefully what draws you in, Juliana is a powerful mage on the run and Valentina is a badass warrior just trying to get home. They meet in the midst of war and... well I haven't gotten further than that. so, yeah...
> 
> let me know what you think and if you're interested in seeing it!


End file.
